The novel corona virus has now reached almost every country in the world. Research is meanwhile working tirelessly on means to fight the virus. Because there is still no vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.
And drugs that could help against the virus-induced lung disease COVID-10 have not yet been sufficiently researched. However, the approaches are numerous.
95 clinical trials on medication against COVID-19
While the development of a vaccine against the coronavirus is progressing, there will probably not be a major breakthrough this year. Medicines against COVID-19, however, could come onto the market a little faster. Research focuses on drugs that are already approved for another disease or have been in development for some time. Because that could lead to results faster than developing completely new active ingredients.
There are currently 95 clinical trials on drugs that could be used in COVID-19 disease. A promising drug is, for example, the immunomodulator tocilizumab. It could dampen the body’s excessive immune response to the disease. An overly violent reaction of the immune system can damage organs such as the lungs.
Remdesivir: Successful animal testing
Another active ingredient that gives hope is called remdesivir. It is an antiviral drug that was actually developed against Ebola. However, it was unsuccessful there. In experiments with mice, however, it was found that the classic SARS virus and the MERS corona virus were efficient. The novel corona virus SARS-CoV-2 is related to these two types of virus. Remdesivir cannot be administered in tablet form, however, but only intravenously. That means it would be unsuitable for taking at home.
Malaria drug against coronavirus?
In recent days, the malaria drug chloroquine has caused a stir. There were indications from China and France that chloroquine or the related hydroxychloroquine could have a positive effect in COVID-19 patients. US President Donald Trump even called it a “gift from God.” But this quickly led to increased cases of staff stays. Two patients died after self-medication with chloroquine. The actual effect of the drug on infection with SARS-CoV-2 has not yet been confirmed.
The medication for Combating malaria is being investigated in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19 130 million cans of this are to be made available worldwide by the end of May. Austria also receives a certain amount for hospital use.
Penninger drug from Austria
A drug from Austria may also be able to help against COVID-19. The geneticist Josef Penninger has been developing a SARS drug with his company Apeiron Biologics for years, which could perhaps also be adapted to the new corona virus, which is related to the SARS virus.
The drug should actually be developed with the new active ingredient APN01 for the treatment of acute lung damage or acute lung failure. These disorders can also occur in the course of Covid-19, the lung disease caused by the coronavirus. They can also be fatal. Therefore, one now wants to test the active ingredient on those people who have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and are subsequently seriously ill. This is supposed to happen in a clinical study in Germany, Austria and Denmark, as Apeiron announced in a broadcast.
Medication mix from American doctor
An American doctor has been making headlines in the past few days because he’s been going for three weeks treating coronavirus risk patients with great success for three weeks. The 46-year-old is said to have looked after almost 1,000 infected people. None of them died and only three had to be ventilated. The doctor named Vladimir Zev Zelenko presents his secret prescription in an open letter. This is a medication mix of the already mentioned hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin (in medications for respiratory diseases) and zinc sulfate.
But the effectiveness of his drug cocktail has not yet been confirmed. It is still completely unclear what effects the combination of the active ingredients will have on patients, even in the long term.
Antibody therapy
In addition, science puts a lot of effort into the search for medications to treat the coronavirus-induced disease COVID-19 Hope in human blood plasma. Because treatment with the antibodies it contains is like passive vaccination.
With the so-called antibody therapy, one would like to use the blood of previously infected, in which antibodies against the coronavirus have already formed, in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Incidentally, the idea that antibodies in the blood of recovered patients should help other patients is not new. Doctors already used this form of therapy during the Spanish flu. Back then, she was able to reduce mortality by a fifth.
Coronavirus vaccines
The World Health Organization WHO currently has 62 vaccine projects to protect against SARS-CoV-2. There are also six other projects that have not yet been recorded by the WHO.
Russian researchers plan to test a human corona vaccine in June. The first phase of clinical tests of three vaccines on 180 volunteers is planned for June 29, said Rinat Maxjutow, head of the state research center Vektor. The researchers are currently testing prototypes of vaccines on mice, rabbits and other animals to determine the most promising vaccine by April 30. According to Maxjutov, the first human tests could even start in May, “if the Ministry of Health approves it”.
First volunteer vaccinated against COVID-19
In mid-March, the first volunteers in the United States were vaccinated with a possible vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The National Institute of Health developed the vaccine called “mRNA-1273” together with the private biotechnology company Moderna. The first test phase could be started very quickly, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases. According to Fauci, the entire process of developing a vaccine will still take at least one to one and a half years.
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